Multiplexed analyses of contaminant-laden gas in a particle impact collector

Abstract

Air or gas is drawn into a particle impact collector where the air or gas is forced through non-linear passages inside the collector in such a manner that particles or droplets entrained in the air or gas, or contaminant vapors in the air or gas, are retained in and concentrated by the passages. Once retained and concentrated, the contaminants are suspended or dissolved in a liquid collection medium purging the passages, the collection medium containing assay reagents for a multiplexed binding assay. The agitation produced by the flow of gas and liquid through the non-linear passages increases the reaction rate of the assay.

1 . A process for the detection and quantification of a plurality of analytes in a gas, said process comprising: 
 (a) drawing a stream of said gas into a collector and causing said stream thus drawn to pass through a non-linear passage inside said collector while analytes are retained in said passage,    (b) purging said passage with a collection medium comprising a carrier liquid and multiplexed binding members comprised of a plurality of subsets of said binding members, each subset distinguishable from all other subsets by a characteristic that is distinguishable by instrumentation and each comprising a distinctive binding member that selectively binds one analyte of said plurality of analytes, and    (c) detecting the binding of analytes to said binding members in a manner that differentiates among said subsets.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said multiplexed binding members are beads to which said binding members are bound, and said distinguishable characteristic is a characteristic of said beads.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said multiplexed binding members are immunological binding members that are not immobilized on a solid phase, and said distinguishable characteristic are reporter molecules bound to said immunological binding members, a distinctive reporter molecule for each said subset.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said analytes are water-soluble and said carrier liquid is an aqueous liquid.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said analytes are soluble in an organic liquid and said carrier liquid is an organic liquid.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said distinguishable characteristic is a colorimetric label.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said distinguishable characteristic is a fluorescent label.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (c) produces analyte-binding member complexes, and step (d) comprises binding a colorimetric label to said analyte-binding member complexes and detecting the amount of said label so bound.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (c) produces analyte-binding member complexes, and step (d) comprises binding a fluorescent label to said analyte-binding member complexes and detecting the amount of said label so bound.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said gas is air.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said beads are from about 1 micron to about 100 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said beads are from about 3 microns to about 30 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said beads are from about 10 nanometers to about 300 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said beads are from about 25 nanometers to about 100 microns in diameter.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed binding members consist of greater than 30 said subsets.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed binding members consist of from about 75 to about 1,000 said subsets.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed binding members consist of from about 100 to about 500 said subsets.  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed beads consist of greater than 30 said subsets.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed beads consist of from about 75 to about 1,000 said subsets.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said multiplexed beads consist of from about 100 to about 500 said subsets.